65 F100 lowering tips on a budget..

Got a 65 Ford F100 lwb, looking to to send it south a bit any ideas on how and in a budget ? (front) back I know how..

 

lowering springs CPP, Speedway, Jamco(wouldn't use them) And most importantly the search engine on this site...

 

No cheap way to do it. Dropped beams are expensive and are only good for three inches.

I am going to bite the bullet and do a mustang 2 kit on my 66 swb.

I have had three with dropped beams, front and rear sway bars, etc. They handle just fine but the drop is marginal.

 

crown vic!
front suspension assembly can be had for around $300

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?do=discuss&group=&discussionid=1749

 

Crown vic is way to wide to look right! I know guys are doin it. If you want the wheels inside the fenders, crown vic is way too wide.

 

My buddy had a Camaro front clip in his '69(I don't know the track width). Real low and rode smooth.

 

Just installed a Mustang II under my 66. the other options weren't low enough. The crown vic track width ruins the look in my opinion.
Not cheap though. Good luck finding cheap with I beams.

 

Mines got dropped beams up front and a flipper rear. Sits nice and noticeably lower ...get lots of low rider comments. Only way to do it unless ya do a snip and clip

 

i cut two of my coils and run 235 60 r 15s in the front its about 6 + inches lower in the front and gives it a bitchen rake with stock hight and 255 70 r 15s in the back check on my pics on my profile in the album "my bettie" i dont have many but it should give you an idea , it does make em cambered but itll handle like a sunofa bitch and slid the rear anywhere you want to with the front end planted . personally i think it looks really bitchen with the camber because i have bullets off of my cragars so from behind you see the radically different angles , i plan on bagging her on beams in the near future, any questions or more pics message me

 

I installed a 04 crown vic in 66 short bed . As for being to wide I would disagree you just have to run the right offset wheel .. Rides like a Cadillac , or maybe more like a crown vic . Handles bad to the bone , big brakes , power steering ect.. If you look hard enough you can get one real cheap . Got mine for 200 ..

 

I vote for the Crown Vic option. I've never heard of it being too wide. Alot of fellows around here like the Mustang II conversion as well.
I, personally am not a big fan of the drop I-beams. I've heard a lot of bad stories about trying to allign them later.
Keep an eye out at some police auctions, sometimes you can pick a Crown vic real cheap.

Roscoe Clyde.

 

I installed a fatman mustang2/pinto in mine. I had it installed before the Crown vic stuff was popular. I have not seen the CV in person but it does look wide but for the money you could afford some nice wheels.

 

this is about what your gonna get with DJM beam's and cut springs. im running pretty tall tires though because i wanted to fill the wheel wells up before i lowered it. but i like big tires tucked rather than small tires on a truck. 225/75 15 front and 235/75 15 rear. i only have about 1.5 inches of travel before i hit the cut bump-stops , but i have HD springs and KYB gas-a-just shocks. its firm but its a big truck and it rides real smooth, never bottoms.

i may switch over to a Jag xj6 front at some point if i come across one, but its my daily so i don't want to get too deep into a project, i got projects already. I'm definitely going to a slightly smaller tire maybe a 215/75 or a 215/70 and a 235/70 in the back. ??? its nit picky i know, buts its got a bit too much rake right now back needs another inch. but couldn't we all

so yes DJM pricey for not much low, but good ride and bolt on simplicity. i think i paid like 670 or so on EvilBay for the beams and the steering drops. then another 70 for moog king pins and bushings. the rear was some drop shackles and i moved the stock front spring hangers up a few inches.

hope i didn't confuse everybody too much

matt

 

The cheapest way I know is heated springs up front and 12 bags of concrete out back.

 

I used a ranchero frame to lower my 64

 

Not many cheap options, I say MustangII or clip, no crown vic swap, too wide!!

 

Yeah, the Crown Vic front sure makes them ugly. I'd do it again to mine in a heartbeat.

Has some drawbacks yes, but handles great and was super cheap.

 

another vote for the Panther (04+) crown vic suspension..

 

I was wondering when would stop by looks great!

 

I know there's more but here's a few.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=531700

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=398754

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=331903

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=341111

 

I'm sure you spent some time looking for these threads but none of these apply to the Twin I beam suspension. HRP

 

As far as the width concern goes, the RIGHT Crown Vic suspension (the earlier ones were too wide; the correct ones are too wide FOR '53-'56)

Measure between the fenders, this truck is 'way less narrow than its predecessors.
Lots of pics and info on the F100 truck site... and the C.V. is a veritable bolt-in.
And all those aluminum parts....

 

05 crown Vic, which is the "bolt on" solution is 67.5 inches from hub to hub. Stock 65-73 f100 is 60.5 3.5 inches wider per side is significant. And you will be forced to run modern high offset wheels as shown above or have custom wheels made which will have a very small lip. Mega backspaceing.

It will probably ride and drive great though and it's cheap but factor in the cost of custom wheels or the look of your truck ruined by modern wheels if that matters to you

And I only say ruin because we're on the hamb. Some modern wheels will look great on your f100 but your here so I'm tailoring my answers/comments to our particular tastes on this site

Matt

 

Oh forgot the earlier crown Vic's without the bolt in subframe, you'd have to clip the whole front, are like 63.1 inches wide

Matt

 

My budy just picked up this 63 its got a 3" dropped front axle. I'm assuming this is the same front suspension?

 

65 was the first year for the Ford twin I beam.

 

i run a widened 6" s10 in mine with dropped spindles and f100 rotors that are turned into hubs with dodge 4x4 slip on rotors and s10 calipers. people can talk all the shit they want about the s10 clip, but i had all of it except the dodge rotors in my garage and it didnt cost any more than $80 to do the whole thing. so all the haters can suck it. they can all run back to their radials , basecoat clearcoat, a/c, and synthetic oil. and say im not traditional.

how low do you want it?

like someone said before, drop beams are spendy and can only get you so low. and most are made by crappy non friendly companies.
clips are cheap, but take some fab work.
or you can buy a bolt in mii for a easy swap, but the most cash

i would just swap in or cut the coils until you can clip it.

here is a pic of mine, and this is not bagged and it rides great. i just took it last weekend on a 8hr round trip.

 

static for the win ^^^^^^

 

I agree with mattrod. 67.5 inches wide for the crown vic, too wide to look right if you want to go low. Here are pics of my static dropped 62, gen 2 camaro clip, rides great.

 

current mustang wheels look great and look like torq thrust wheels and they fit the crown vic clip
add a 8.8 from an explorer / older crown vic and you have 4 wheel disc brakes